“Anyone, I gotta know, why the apology for Steven Tyler at the top of the show?” pleaded IHilldog.

We watched the whole show, and still we’re baffled. Was it a publicity stunt to boost ratings? A joke? Are producers worried that the show this season is not exciting enough on its own?

Or was it … serious? Did they actually get an onslaught of angry mail from viewers ticked off about all those rhymes-with-Muck utterances on last week’s show? And if so, was “Idol” seriously responding to those concerns, or wryly thumbing its nose at them? All explanations are equally mystifying.

Are we missing something? Do you have a theory? If so, please share it.